Gutter coupling



J. H. BLAYDEN GUTTER COUPLING Oct. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1962 INVENTOR.

JAMES H. BLAYDEN J. H. BLAYDEN GUTTER COUPLING Oct. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1962 INVENTOR.

JAMES H. BLAYDEN BY A Jg ws United States Patent 3,213,627 GUTTER COUPLING James H. Blayden, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 9, 1962, Ser, No. 172,223 3 Claims. (Cl. 61-15) This invention relates in general to gutters, and similar open top trough-like liquid-collecting and liquid-conveying systems. The invention is more specifically addressed to sheet metal rain-collecting gutter systems, and couplings for joining adjacent lengths thereof, in a manner to provide and insure substantially watertight jointure therebetween during thermal expansion and contraction of such systems.

The term gutter as herein used in the description of the invention, and in the appended claims, is intended to include conventional trough-shaped liquid-collecting and conveying devices having cross-sectional configurations, transverse to their longitudinal axes, which may be semicircular, of relatively sharp angular box section, or of ogee cross-section, and preferably further structurally characterized in their provision of front and rear upper marginal edge-defining reinforcing beads conventionally employed in their suspension or installation.

It is a primary object of the invention to improve over existing conventional gutter coupling devices and joining practices by providing a separate coupling device for insertion within a gutter system in overlying relationship of overlapping or faying surfaces of adjacent end portions of two substantially similar conventional gutter sections.

It is another object of the invention to provide a gutter coupling incorporating a non-metallic flexural or flexible membrane or web portion as a unitary axially intermediate component thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gutter system incorporating a linearly flexible coupling or joint structure between overlapping or faying surfaces of end portions of two adjacent and contiguously disposed conventional gutter sections.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art on consideration of the following descriptive specification, taken in conjunction with the illustrations referred to therein, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top plan view of a coupling device falling within the scope and purview of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an end elevational view of the coupling device of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate sectional elevational views taken on the planes 33 and 4-4, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side elevational view, with a fragmentary sectionalized break-through, of the coupling of FIGS. 1 through 4 installed and secured within a gutter system falling within the scope and purview of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top plan view downwardly directed into the gutter system of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional elevational view taken on the plane 77 of FIG. 6.

In its broadest concept, the invention contemplates and embraces the provision of a coupling device, preferably comprising terminal or end portions of sheet metal, or similar permanently deformable and shaped material, separated and unitarily attached to an intermediate nonmetallic membrane or flexible web member, the terminal or end portions of which are shaped or configurated to conform substantially to the cross-section of gutter sections with which the coupling device is to be employed overlying a joint therebetween. It will also be appre- 3,213,627 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 ciated that the unitarily attached non-metallic intermediate flexible membrane or flexural web portion of the coupling device will follow and take on or assume substantially the transverse cross-sectional configuration of each of the attached and deformed end portions of the coupling without losing its characteristic flexibility.

A unitary coupling device satisfying and incorporating the above-described basic structural features and components is employed in use in overlying or superimposed disposition across a lapped joint between adjacent ends of two similar conventional gutter sections in substantial transverse cross-sectional contacting conformity with the interior surfaces of the overlapped end portions of the two gutter sections axially along the length of the overlapped ends of the gutter sections and axially beyond the overlapped length thereof, where the deformed or configurated end portions of the coupling are rigidly secured to the interior underlying surfaces of one each of the gutter sections constituting the joint therebetween.

Commercial practice of the invention is now described in terms of the adaptation and installation of the coupling device in a lap joint between adjacent ends of conventional box gutters. Therein the coupling device consisted of two identical terminal or end sections 10 of sheet metal of substantially the same gauge as the metal of the box section gutters with which the coupling was employed.

It will be observed from the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 through 4, that each terminal end section 10 of the coupling device is joggled at 12 and then reversely bent rearwardly on itself at 14 over a suflicient axial length to permit contiguous forward bending thereof to provide an axially open contiguous marginal edge channel 16, the outer surface 18 of which lies substantially coplanar with the remaining unjoggled outer or exposed surfaces of each end section 10. A non-metallic web component 22, such as natural or synthetic rubber, with neoprene having been successfully employed in the practice of the invention, has opposite marginal edges thereof inserted within the axially opposed marginal open chan- I,

nels 16 of the end sections 10, Where the flexible web element 22 is firmly secured in unitary assembly with each end section 10. An adhesive compatible with the metal and neoprene components of the coupling device is preferably employed within the channels 16, and the walls of the channels are also preferably compressed against the web component to provide mechanically locked and adhesively bonded jointure of the several components of the unitary coupling device.

As earlier stated, and in the adaptation of the coupling device to joints between gutter sections of conventional box section, the coupling device is provided in transverse cross-sectional configuration with a substantially flat bottom wall 26, an upwardly extending contiguous rear wall 28, and an upstanding forwardly inclined front wall 30 also contiguous with the bottom wall 26. It will also be observed that the upper marginal edge of the forwardly inclined front wall 30 is provided in the form of an outwardly extending ledge 32 and a contiguous upwardly extending front wall marginal surface 34 terminating slightly lower in elevation than the upper marginal edge of the rear wall 28, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more clearly observed The coupling device of the invention, having been described in terms of a specific structure, is illustrated in the commercial adaptation selected for purposes of further describing the invention installed within the trough formed by conventional box gutter sections 40 in overlapped end assembly in FIGS. 5 through 7.

Therein it will be observed that two lengths of identical box section gutter 40 are arranged in overlapped end assembly following the conventional practice of removing, as by shearing or cropping, a terminal end upper margial edge axial length of the rear wall 42 and a similar axial length of the front wall 44 for ease in overlapping end assembly of the exterior surfaces of the bottom wall 46, rear wall 42 and front wall 44 of the uppermost gutter section 40 in surface contact with the interior surfaces presented by each of the same walls of the identical underlying gutter section 40.

It will be understood from this end overlapped disposition of the gutter sections 40 that the rear Wall 42 of the uppermost gutter section 40 has been cut away in a manner to remove an equal length of the rear wall and its downwardly and inwardly directed contiguous rear edge open bead flange 48 to thereby permit clearance axial telescopic entry of the upstanding sheared, or otherwise produced, upper edge 50 of the rear wall 42 within the channel formed by the unsheared rear edge bead flange 48 and contiguous rear wall 42 of the axially adjacent underlying gutter section 40. In similar fashion, the upwardly extending front wall 44 of the uppermost gutter section 40 is removed over an axial length along the plane 52 substantially equal in length to that removed from the rear wall 42 and bead flange 48 which in effect removes the inwardly directed front wall upper flange 54 to permit telescopic axial entry of the so sheared edge in the plane 52 within the upper terminal edge front wall head of the underlying gutter section 40 formed by the outwardly extending ledge 56, contiguous upstanding wall surface 58, and inwardly directed aforementioned upper wall or flange 54.

It will be observed to this point in the separate descriptions of the coupling device (FIGS. 1 through 4), and the joint formed by the end overlapped similar gutter sections 40 (FIGS. 5 through 7), that the transverse box section configuration of the coupling device conforms substantially to that of the transverse cross-sectional configuration of the similar gutter sections (FIG. '7), and that superimposition of the coupling device over the end lapped joint between the gutter sections 40 places the upper edge of the coupling device rear wall 28 just below, or preferably coincident with, the lowermost edge presented by the inwardly and downwardly directed rear wall open channel bead flange 48. Similarly the offset front wall ledge 32 and the contiguous upstanding marginal wall 34 of the coupling device are received in nested bearing contact with the substantially similar ledge and contiguous upstanding surface 56 and 58, respectively, of the front wall 44 of the gutter sections 40, the lower elevation of the upstanding front wall surface 34 of the eoupling. device,'falling below the uppermost edge of the rear wall 28 thereof, conforming substantially in amount and location to the difference in elevation between the uppermost marginal edge surfaces of the front and rear beads of the gutter sections 40.

From the description thus far of the coupling device and end lapped gutter joint, it will be apparent that the coupling device is substantially the same in its transverse cross-sectional configuration as the gutter sections, the primary difference therein lying in the absence in the coupling device of a rear wall open bead flange and front wall inwardly directed marginal flange corresponding to the structural rear and front elements 48 and 54, respectively, of each similar gutter section 40. It will also be apparent that the coupling device, sans the aforesaid rear and front flanges of the gutter sections, is superimposable into the trough formed by end overlapped similar gutter sections through the open top thereof without interference from the aforesaid rear end front flanges 48 and 54 of gutter sections to be coupled in accordance with the invention.

In further description of the assembled gutter and coupling device of the invention, it is of critical significance that the coupling device axially overlies and extends beyond the overlapped axial length of a lapped joint between the ends of adjacent similar gutter sections.

In this connection the flexibly and axially separated end sections 10 of the coupling device are each rigidly secured, as by rivets 60, to one each of the gutter sections 40 in axially opposite relationship to the overlapped end portions of the two gutter sections forming an end lapped joint therebetween. This manner of assembly places the flexible web portion 22 of the coupling device substantially axially centrally disposed in respect to the axial length of the overlapped end surface areas of the gutter sections 40. In fact it is desirable and preferable to select an initial axial length for the web portion 22 somewhat greater than the axial length of the initially overlapped end portions of the gutter sections 40 to insure against excessive localized bulging of the membrane 22, and/or positive interference between the rigid terminal end edges of the individual gutter sections with the rigid edges of the channels 16 of the coupling member axially adjacent thereto, in response to relative axial sliding movement of the overlapped gutter sections relative to the rigidly secured end sections 10 of the coupling device.

It is considered preferable, and has been followed in commercial practice, to provide a layer or coating of caulking compound between the interior wall surface areas of each of the gutter sections 40 in bearing contact with the omplementary and coextensive overlying surface areas of the end sections 10 of the coupling device in rigid connection and securement thereto, as by the rivets 60. Conventional synthetic rubber, plastic and natural rubber adhesives, forming a large selection of commercially available air setting adhesives, will suflice for this purpose and will produce excellent watertight connections in the practice of the invention. Conventional thermoplastic or thermosetting adhesives may also be employed.

It will be understood and appreciated that the joining practice of the invention employs prefabricated coupling devices, conventional gutter sections, as well as conventional riveting equipment and caulking compounds, and that gutter joints made in accordance with the description herein given will provide an axially free-floating joint in respect to adjacent end overlapped gutter sections, while at the same time providing secured attachment of the coupling device to each of the two gutter sections incorporated in a joint therebetween, to thereby insure against accidental axial separation of the gutter sections so connected. The installation of the coupling device of the invention, confined within the gutter trough, obviates the unsightly appearance occasioned by the abrupt changes in exterior contours of gutter systems employing exteriorly mounted and assembled coupling devices. It has also been determined, in actual practice of the invention, that the use of the flexible membrane 22 of neoprene, as well as other synthetic and natural rubber web materials, in the fabrication of the coupling devices and joints of the invention, has resulted in the provision of metallic gutter systems, with flexible coupling joints between adjacent sections thereof, which are practically noiseless under sliding relative axial movement of the gutter sections, as a result of the sound-damping properties of the flexible membrane component of the coupling devices of the invention. This is apparently explainable, at least in part, on the grounds that it is not essential to the practice and success of the invention to employ congealing types of caulking compound between the overlapping axially slidable end portions of the gutter sections in the lapped joint coupled by the flexible coupling device of the invention, which compounds are known to solidify and suddenly break loose under expansion or contraction of a gutter system, with resultant audible noise level developing in metallic gutter sections employing caulking compounds between faying surfaces otherwise intended to be free to axial relative movement.

Having described the invention generally, and in terms of a specific commercial adaptation of the same, what is claimed is:

1. In a gutter system comprising an overlapped axially slidable end joint assembly between two similar open top trough-shaped gutter sections each having an axially coextensive inwardly directed reinforcing bead configuration along at least one upper marginal edge thereof, and in which joint assembly at least one of said gutter sections has an axial length of its bead configuration removed over an axial length measured from the terminal free end thereof within the length of the overlapped slidable end joint assembly to avoid interference between the bead configurations of both gutter sections in substantial aligned registration thereof, a coupling member introduceable through the open top of said gutter system and comprising substantially rigid end sections in axially separated relationship unitarily connected by an intermediate nonmetallic flexible and resilient web, each end section being configurated in transverse cross-sectional profile in substantial conformity to the transverse cross-sectional con figuration of each similar gutter section in transverse coextensive nested contacting disposition of the coupling member within the gutter system with an upper marginal edge of the coupling member disposed immediately below and out of axial interference with the inwardly directed substantially aligned reinforcing bead configurations of both gutter sections, said non-metallic flexible and resilient web assuming substantially a transverse cross-sectional profile in conformity to the profiled end sections of the coupling member and being of an axial length between the oppositely disposed near edges of the end sections in unitary connection therewith in excess of the axial extent of the end overlapped gutter sections in the axially slidable joint assembly, one each of said end sections of the coupling member being permanently attached to one each of the gutter sections beyond the axial length of the end overlapped portions thereof with the intermediate web overlying the end overlapped portions of the gutter sections, and said axial length of the web being selected to permit relative axial movement of the overlapped gutter sections While restrainedly preventing complete axial separation thereof.

2. In a gutter system comprising an overlapped axially slidable end joint assembly between two similar open top trough-shaped metallic gutter sections each having an axially coextensive inwardly directed reinforcing bead configuration along opposite front and rear upper marginal edges thereof defining the open top thereto, and in which joint assembly at least one of said gutter sections has an axial length of its front and rear bead configurations removed over an axial length measured from the terminal free end thereof within the length of the overlapped slidable end joint assembly to avoid interference between the front and rear bead configurations of both gutter sections in substantial aligned registration thereof, a coupling member introduceable through the open top of said gutter system and comprising metallic end sections in axially separated relationship unitarily connected by an intermediate non-metallic flexible and resilient web, each end section being configurated in transverse cross-sectional profile in substantial conformity to the transverse cross-sectional configuration of each similar gutter section in transverse coextensive nested contacting disposition of the coupling member within the gutter system with upper front and rear marginal edges of the coupling member disposed immediately below and out of axial interference respectively with the inwardly directed substantially aligned front and rear reinforcing bead configurations of the gutter sections, said non-metallic flexible and resilient Web assuming substantially a transverse cross-sectional profile in conformity to the profiled end sections of the coupling member and being of an axial length between the oppositely disposed near edges of the end sections in unitary connection therewith in excess of the axial extent of the end overlapped gutter sections in the axially slidable joint assembly, one each of said end sections of the coupling member being permanently attached to one each of the gutter sections beyond the axial length of the end overlapped portions thereof with the intermediate web overlying the end overlapped portions of the gutter sections, and said axial length of the web being selected to permit relative axial sliding movement of the gutter sections while restrainedly preventing complete separation thereof.

3. In the gutter system and joint assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which one each of the substantially rigid profiled end sections of the coupling member is mechanically locked and adhesively bonded to one each of the gutter sections underlying the same to provide coextensive transverse watertight permanent securement of the coupling member in the joint assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,037 3/86 White 285300 1,022,008 4/ 12 Swick 6115 2,777,573 1/57 Goldsmith 285-424 2,833,228 5/58 Martin 50-4 2,931,669 4/ McDonald. 3,060,638 10/62 Bender 61-15 3,070,130 12/ 62 Risley.

EARL I. WITMER, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, BENJAMIN BENDETT,

Examiners. 

1. IN A GUTTER SYSTEM COMPRISING AN OVERLAPPED AXIALLY SLIDABLE END JOINT ASSEMBLY BETWEEN TWO SIMILAR OPEN TOP TROUGH-SHAPED GUTTER SECTIONS EACH HAVING AN AXIALLY COEXTENSIVE INWARDLY DIRECTED REINFORCING BEAD CONFIGURATION ALONG AT LEAST ONE UPPER MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, AND IN WHICH JOINT ASSEMBLY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID GUTTER SECTIONS HAS AN AXIAL LENGTH OF ITS BEAD CONFIGURATION REMOVED OVER AN AXIAL LENGTH MEASURED FROM THE TERMINAL FREE END THEREOF WITHIN THE LENGTH OF THE OVERLAPPED SLIDABLE END JOINT ASSEMBLY TO AVOID INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE BEAD CONFIGURATIONS OF BOTH GUTTER SECTIONS IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNED REGISTRATION THEREOF, A COUPLING MEMBER INTRODUCEABLE THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF SAID GUTTER SYSTEM AND COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID END SECTIONS IN AXIALLY SEPARATED RELATIONSHIP UNITARILY CONNECTED BY AN INTERMEDIATE NONMETALLIC FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT WEB, EACH END SECTION BEING CONFIGURATED IN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTIONAL PROFILE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMITY TO THE TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF EACH SIMILAR GUTTER SECTION IN TRANSVERSE COEXTENSIVE NESTED CONTACTING DISPOSITION OF THE COUPLING MEMBER WITHIN THE GUTTER SYSTEM WITH AN UPPER MARGINAL 